Do you have a friend or family member who’s a writer? I’ll bet you’re wondering what the heck to get that person for the holidays aren’t you? Writers can be some of the most difficult people to buy for. I mean I don’t know about you, but most of my family and friends seem to think giving me an unending supply of those lined journals with flowers and or cute animals on the cover is what I want. I mean I have a drawer full of those things, and umm…hate to tell you this family and friends, but they aren’t getting used any time soon!
So, what do you give the writer in your life for Christmas? There are many more gifts that writers will appreciate than the oft-used lined journal. Here are ten ideas to get you started!
1. The latest version of Microsoft Word. Yup, you guessed it, a word processing program. This can be an expensive item for writers and most of us would just as soon use our 2007 or 2010 version than buy a new version. So, make sure they don’t have the latest version first but if not this is a great gift for the writer in your life.
2. The Writer’s Remedy. One of my friends got this for me last Christmas, and it is so much fun! A jar full of magnetic words, all you need is a surface like your refrigerator to adhere them to, and you can use them to brainstorm. I’ve written poetry, come up with book titles and used them to create mind maps even. As a writer, I use this gift all the time, so if you’re looking for an inexpensive gift for writers, here it is!
3. Keeping track of your word count is tough sometimes. And when you’re writer, it’s crucial especially if you’re trying to make a habit of writing each day. Consider a weekly stick up calendar that your writer can adhere to the bottom of their monitor use to keep track of their word count. There’s a lovely stick up weekly calendar at Pocketo. It’s also a great way to keep track of your writing goals!
4. A “Please Do Not Annoy The Writer, She May Put You In a Book and Kill You” coffee mug. I have to admit this is one of my favorite gifts, both to receive and to give. It’s just so pithy! And your writer friend or relative will appreciate it too!
5. A Bananagrams game. This is a great game to get your creative juices flowing and it’s portable too, so your writer can get together with other writers or their friends and play. The object of the game is to put words together in a crossword puzzle grid. It’s loads of fun!
6. Want to impress your writer? Give them a quiet night or weekend to write. You can do this by purchasing a night or weekend at a hotel or bed.    And breakfast that is just for them. It’s hard to get away from obligations such as kids, pets, laundry, dishes, school, and need I go on. They’ll truly love you for this gift!
7. Give them a gift card for massages. Writers spend a lot of time in scrunched up in front of a computer and it’s very easy to have all your muscles tighten up. Can you say, sore neck, sore back, sore, well just about everything? Regular massages will help your writer to relax and hopefully help them get those juices flowing again!
8. Give the gift of your time. Want to impress your writer? Want them to know that you support their writing? Know they’re driving themselves nuts researching some obscure topic or town for their latest thriller? Why not offer to spend two or three hours doing research for them? You can make your own gift card for this, and then put it in an envelope with their name under the tree. They’ll love it!
9. Get them a Wacom tablet and pen. Okay, granted this one is expensive like around $300, but if you truly love the writer in your life, they will love you FOREVER for one of these! They’ll be able to practice their autograph, brainstorm, doodle. And any number of other creative things that will help them to be better writers. This is one of those best gifts ever!
10. Laptop Carry Case. Most of us writers have at least one laptop, and sometimes finding a good sturdy bag with enough space for not just the laptop but your e-reader and a few pens and pencils can be difficult. So, getting your writer a high quality lap top case is a great gift.
Your writer will love any of the gifts on this list. And hey, it won’t be one of those lined journals. Nothing says, “I don’t have a clue what to get you” than a lined journal. So, there you have it, ten gifts for writers that are awesome!